COPING WITH CANCER: EVERYDAY, OR JUST WHEN IT COMES UP

The first thing I read in a cancer waiting room was Coping With Cancer magazine. Articles and essays defined cancer, breaking down a most unimaginable deal to human understanding.

The snippet for Coping on google says, “Coping with Cancer. A wide variety of professionals share their knowledge and experience in easy-to-read, relevant articles, and patients, caregivers, and survivors share their strategies for coping with cancer.”

“Professionals, patients, caregivers, survivors, and me,” I told anyone in the waiting room. “I’m a writer, I’ve got cancer, I’ll write a cancer essay for Coping With Cancer.”

I talked it up so the others would know I wasn’t just any cancer patient. I was a writer and I’d prove it to them. It was something to keep from freaking the hell out. As far as ‘show off cred’ goes, it was pretty weak.

No one held their breath. Besides, life goes on in the cancer business. Write or don’t; get it into a national magazine, or not; celebrate when it gets in?

Coping With Cancer included a piece I wrote called ‘Wrestling With Cancer.’ It’s not online yet, but the May/June publication includes titles like ‘Communities to Recognize Cancer Survivors, Raise Awareness on National Cancer Survivors Day® — Sunday, June 3′

National Cancer Survivors Day® is an annual, worldwide Celebration of Life held on the first Sunday in June. Hundreds of cities around the world will hold celebrations on this day to recognize cancer survivors, to bring attention to the ongoing challenges cancer survivors face, and to celebrate life.

“A ‘survivor’ is anyone living with a history of cancer – from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of life,” according to the National Cancer Survivors Day® Foundation, administrator for the celebration.

One of the rules you hear during cancer treatment is ‘there are no rules, just do what it takes to survive.’

Do the same rules apply to cancer survivors? They do for Gabriele Grunewald.

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‘Cancer Survivor and Elite Runner Gabriele “Gabe” Grunewald’

The toughest side effect of treatment, for me, is the mental side.

Wrestling With Cancer hits the same note. Every competitive person understands the mental side. If two athletes are near equals, the mental side is the difference maker.

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Examining Cancer’s Impact on Male Sexual Health

Although effective at killing cancer cells, chemotherapy has unintended side effects that either directly or indirectly affect sexual health.

When instructions during chemo include flushing the toilet twice after each use, I suspected it was doing something pretty toxic. Maybe a little too toxic to share?

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I was out of town, but not out of touch, when I learned about my Coping With Cancer article. When I got back I knew what I’d do.

Cancer clinic staff see a huge patient rotation, each one with their own outcome and reaction. Maybe it says more about me, but one patient packed up on their last day of chemo, leaving with harsh words of good bye. I didn’t like it.

Hers was a bitter departure, hoping to never see anyone who helped her the rest of her life. If feels more like a boyfriend / girlfriend breakup with words like “I never want to see you the rest of our lives.” In any application it sounds weird, except for puppy love.

Cancer treatment is not puppy love, but it still gets the treatment. One or the nurses said it wasn’t unusual, but maybe misplaced sentiments. Cancer doesn’t bring out the best in everyone.

I took the opposite approach. Cancer patients live with cancer, but so do treatment staff. Some are cancer survivors, some married to cancer survivors, some in process, some in remission.

The first place I stopped with a copy of Coping With Cancer was the Knight Cancer Institute in Tualatin. This was my #1 chemo and hydration station. They were the A-Team of pulling me out of the fire.

They wrestle with cancer everyday.